International Cruise Summit 2017: MedCruise details program on how to secure a sustainable future of cruising in the Med

The 2017 edition of the International Cruise Summit concluded in Madrid, with MedCruise and several of its member ports leading discussions on how best to secure the future of cruise activities in the Med and beyond.

The keynote speaker of the event was MedCruise President Airam Díaz Pastor, who presented the major challenges for the Mediterranean cruise ports and the MedCruise way to address them - while several MedCruise members joined the conference panels and actively participated in all aspects of the event.

In a speech that shaped the two-days discussions, MedCruise President Airam Díaz Pastor presented the excellent job that cruise ports in the Med and its adjoining seas are doing adapting facilities and destinations to current trends in cruising. He also stressed that the long-term engagement of cruise lines to destinations, and the improvement of the cooperation when scheduling / planning itineraries are two most important challenges faced by cruise ports in the Med. In this context, he emphasised the work of MedCruise to further develop its cooperation with cruise lines, with CLIA, while MedCruise advances partnerships with other port associations and stakeholders, in order to share practices and discuss common issues.

“A major priority in the MedCruise strategy is to improve the relationship between ports and municipalities. We must educate our local communities about the benefits of the cruise industry. We must also listen our neighbors needs, in order to avoid in advance unnecessary conflicts. Communication and collaboration is the key”, stated Diaz Pastor before announcing that MedCruise will soon set up a new Working Group dedicated to the issue, while it will increase its efforts to develop cruise awareness in the local communities.

The MedCruise President also announced the continuation of the pioneering strategy of MedCruise to create a ‘cruise the Med culture' in Asia, and in particular China, and its expansion to traditional source markets, and the upgrade of the work of MedCruise at the international fora and European institutions, in order to promote the interest of Meditteranean ports views to decision makers and not least to provide concrete proposal in resolving major issues that cruise ports face, such as visas for third countries citizens cruising in Europe.

MedCruise representatives coming from a large variety of Mediterranean countriessuch as France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey promoted cruise activities in the Med and its adjoining seas, highlighting the fact that this is a region made for cruising with great potential for further growth.

The Association also benefited from a special MedCruise corner placed within the ICS venue, which served as a special meeting point and point of reference for the wide distribution of MedCruise destinations material.

Every year ICS is attended by 400 cruise industry professionals, forming, thus, one of the main international discussion forums in the sector.